Discovered by metal detectorists near Leominster in 2015, the Herefordshire Hoard consists of silver coins,  gold jewellery and a single silver ingot. It was buried between AD 870 and AD 879 and is likely connected with the presence of the Viking ‘Great Army’ in the Kingdom of Mercia during that period.
The Hoard reveals new information about politics in the late 9th century, demonstrating the movement and activity of the Viking army and an alliance between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex at a time when the unification and of England was taking shape.
It is believed that most of the Hoard, discovered in 2015 by metal detectorists in a field near Leominster, has been sold on the black market, with the current collection only representing 10% of the original find.  The perpetrators have since been sentenced to over 23 years in prison, but the items illicitly sold have not been recovered.  The remaining items from the Hoard – which as ‘treasure’ was owned by the Crown - returned to Herefordshire following a fundraising appeal.

In this episode we hear from Tim Hoverd, Archaeological Projects Manager for Herefordshire Archaeology, Judy Stevenson, Team Leader for the Herefordshire Museum Service, and Gareth Williams, Curator of Anglo-Saxon coins in the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum. 

To see the Herefordshire Hoard for yourselves, book your tickets now for the JORVIK Viking Centre. Or, you can watch our videos about the hoard here. 

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